Glass-feeding apparatus



Dec. 1,1925. v y

` T. sTENHQUsE GLASS FEDING APPARATUS origina Filed Aug, 112. 1920 zsheets-sheet 2 i?! 15 ,i6-i535 i g1/MMM: v www Mame,

Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

UNITED vSTATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS STENHOUSE, OlF WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HAZEL-ATLASGLASS C0., F WHEELING, *WEST VIRGINIA, A CORPORATIQN 0F WEST VIRGINIA. i

GLASS-FEEDING APPARATUS.

Applcationled August 12, 1920, Serial No. 403,068.

To ZZ whom it may concern.'

Be 1t known that I, Titorri-xs S'rnNnoUsn,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at lVasliington, in thecounty ot lVashington and State ot Pennsylvania. have invented certainnew and useful Il'uprovemcnts in Glass-Feeding Apparatus` ot which the`following isa specification.

My invention has `for a general object to improve that type oi glassvfeeding' mechanism in which the flowing glass is temporarily receivedwithin cup 'forming members, the cup members being opened aud thecolumn. of glass sheared when a suliicient quantity of glass for theartic-le required has been gathered in the cup.

A further object of my invention is to pivotally mount bot-h the cupmembers and the shears,l and to position the cup members close to thedischarge orifice and to position the shears above and close to the cupmembers, thus preventing the usual spiral formation caused by a longstream, which becomes attenuated when 'a long drop is required.

A further .object of my invention isA to combine shears of a particularshape with the oscillating cup members, the shears being shapedto'surround the glass column during the cutting operation.

Still another object of myl invention is to provide new and improvedmeans for maintaining a proper shearing contact be tween the shearblades.

lVith the above general objects iu view and others, which will beobvious to those skilled in the art from the description hereina-iter`my invention consists in the features, details ot' construction.y andcombination of parts which will first be described in connection withthe accompanying drawings and then particularlyv pointed out. iu theclaims. I

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the mechanism showlng the shears in openposition and the cup members in closed position.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the mechaiiislircoinbined with the ltankextension,

showing the removable bushing and re',g,rula.tA

ing plug; the shears being open andthe cup members closed as beitor YRenewed September 17', 1925.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the mechanism with the elements thereof inreversed position, the shears being closed and the cup members open; and

Figure 4 is a. plan view of the apparatus with the shears and operatingmechanism therefor removed to clearly show the cup operating mechanism.i

In the construction illustrated in the above figures numeral 1 refers toa flow spout or tank extension into which the glass 2 flows in thedirection of the outlet orifice indicated b v numeral Removably mountedwithin the orifice 3 is a bushing 3a, providing means whereby thebushing may be renewed when necessary, or other bushings havingapertures of `various dimensions suitable to the requirements of thearticles to be made, ma;T be substituted therefor.

For further regulating` the flow of glassa vertically adjustable plug 4is mounted in aligmnent with the discharge orifice; while an auxiliarycontrol or sluice gate 4a is providedwithin the spout 1 for stillfurther regulating the glass flow, ornfor entireiv shutting oli' theflow during renewal or change of the plug 4 or bushing 3-, It will beunderstood, of course, that the well known reciprocating plug may besubstituted tor the adjustable plug 4,-if so desired.

For supporting the shears, the cup :torming members, and the operatingmechanism, I provide a base plate 7, which may be secured in' place inany desirable manner as by a. column 8 received within a suitablesupport.

Mounted below, in line with, andadjacent tothe discharge orifice 3 arethe shear blades 5, 5, the blades beingcarried 'by bell-crank levers 5,5a, pivoted upon a pin-17.

For actuating the shears a cylinder 9 operated by air or other fluidmedium is mounted on the base plate T. The piston rod 11 of thiscylinder carriesa crosshead 12 which is connected with the slide rods.

of the pin and slot connection between the slide rods and the bell-cranklevers 5, 5, the latter will be caused to rotate thereby closing theshear rblades 5, 5. If Anow the pressure is-released from the cylinderbyany suitable means, the springs 29, 29, will force the crosshead, theslide rods, and the piston rod to the left, thereby rotating the bladesto open position. a

As shown at 5? the blades of -the shears are soshaped lthat theywillsurround the glass column during the cutting operation.

In order that a proper shearing contact may be maintained between theblades at all'v times, I provide the lever of the upper blade withl anextension '18, having a planed surf'ace in frictional Contact with aplate 19. This plate .has downwardly extending pins 21, 21, attachedthereto, which may be slidably mounted within sleeves 20a. 'To hold theplate in ten'sion against the lever I mount' coil springs 20, 20, on thepins 21,

21, the springs resting at their lower ends on shoulders formed iii thesleeves 20, and forcing the plate upward against the'lever. Mountedbelow the shears and adjacent .thereto are cup forming members 6, 6,.which when brought together form' a cup closed at the bottom, andadapted to temporarily receive a quantity of molten glass. lVhen therequired amount has been received therein the glass columnis sheared andthe cup members opened to drop the severed glass into a mold or otherreceptacle.

As the cup operating mechanism is substantially the same as the shearoperating mechanism previously described, only a brief descriptionthereof will be necessary, The cup members are carried by bell-cranklevers 6, 6, pivotally mounted on a pin 2T. An operating cylinder 9a-issupported on the base plate, and the piston rod 9h of said cylinder isconnected with a. orosshead 12, which is attached by suitable means'tothe -slide rods 23, 23, supported in bearings 14,

14. The slide rods have slotted lugs 24, 24, at the ends thereof, theslots being adapted to receive pins 25, 25, carried on the bellcranklevers .supporting the cup members. Coil springs'28, 28, may be mountedon the slide rods between the forward bearings 14, 14, and thefcrosshead 12. When the piston rod is forced to the right by pressurebeing discharging column of glass.

meaee admitted to the cylinder' 9, the crosshead 12a, and slide rods 23,23, will also move to the right against the pressure of springs 28, 28,and by the slot and pin connection with the levers 6, 6, will cause thecup members to be brought together.

Upon the release l of the cylinder pressure the springs 28, 2S, v

will move the cup members to open position.

The cup forming members may be provided with a suitable water coolingcavity shown in dotted lines and indicated by numeral 30, and also withthe usual pipe connections.

The operationv of the entire mechanism will now be described.

The glass 2 flows from a tank into the flow spout or tank extension 1and is discharged through the .orifice 3 lined bya bushing 3, whichassists in controlling the size of the The flow is further controlledand regulatedby the vertically adjustable plug and sluice gatepreviously described.

The flowing glass column is arrested by and received within the cuptemporarily until the amount required for the work at hand' has beengathered. The pressure is now releasedl from cylinder 9a and the actionof the springs 28, 28, forces the crosshead 12 and slide rods 23, 23, tothe left thereby swinging the cup members apart; to drop the glass inthe direction of the mold or other receptacle, At the same timepressureis admitted to the cylinder 9 to force the piston to the rightthereby closing the shears and severing the glass as describedpreviously,

The operation is now reversed, pressure bcmg admitted to cylmder 9EL toclose the cupmembers and at the same time the pressure ico beingreleasedfrom the cylinder 9 so that A the springs 29, 29, may open theshears.

Instead of operating the shears and cup members simultaneously" inopposite directions, I may,`if desired, iirstvopen the cups and thensever the glass; or I may first sever the glass and then openthe cups.

Any suitable valve mechanism (not shown) may be used for controlling theudmission and exhaust of fluid pressure to the y cylinders-9 and 9, Y

In accordance with the patent statutes l have described what I `nowbelieve to he the best embodiment of thc invention, butv I do not wishto be understood thereby as limiting myself or the scope of theinvention, asmany changes and modifications may4 be made withouteparting from the spirit of the invention, all such I aim to include inthe scope of the appended claims.

Having fully `described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. Glass delivering and' cutting mechanism including a pair of ,cupforming memlll) llS

Ill)

nism including a paii of cup forming mei-'nbers pivotally mounted andadapted to oscillate in substantially a horizontal plane, shears.pivotally mounted above and adgacent to said cup forming members, and

resilientmeans for maintaining proper shearing contact between the shearblades.

V3. Glass delivering and cutting mechanism including a pair of cup'forming members pivotally mounted and .adapted to oscillate insubstantially a horizontal plane, shears mounted above and .adjacent tosaid cup forming members, one blade of said shears having anextensionthereon, a plate frictionally engaged by said extension shearingcontact.

head connecting said slide rods, spring 4 whereby the blades aremaintained in proper Glass delivering and cutting mechanism including apair of cup forming members, shears mounted above said cup formingmembers, one blade of said shears having an extension thereon, a springpressed plate frictionally engaged by said extension ivhereby the bladesare maintainedv in.

proper shearing contact.

Glass delivering and cutting mechanisni including a pair of pivotallymounted i cup forming members, shears pivotal-ly mounted above andadjacent to said cup torming` members, the shear blades shaped i tosurround4 the glass column', and means for Aseparately and independentlyoperating the cup forming members and shears.

G. An apparatus ot the character described inei'nbers, bell-crank leverscarrying said cup nien'ibers, slide rods operatively connected tofsaidbell-crank levers; a crosshcad connecting said slide rods,'aiid means'inclu-ding pivotally mounted cup formingl nected to said bell-cranklevers, a crossl members for moving the crosshead in one direction and afluid operated piston for moving the crosshead in the opposite direc'-tion.

S. Anapparatus ot thecharacter described including pivotally'mounted cupforming members, pivotally mounted shears, and means for operating saidshears, said means including bell-crank levers carrying said shears,slide rods operatively connected with: said levers, a crosslieadconnecting the slide rods, and means tor operating said crossliead.

9. An -apparatus of the character described including pivotally mountedcup forming elements, pivotally mounted shears, and means for operatingsaid shears, said means including bell-crank levers carrying saidshears, slide rods operatively connected with said levers, acrossheadconnecting the slide rods, spring members for moving unecrosshead in one direction and a fluid operated piston for moving thecrosshead in the opposite direction.

10. An apparatus vof the character described including pivotally mountedcup forming members, and pivotally mounted shears, means for operatingsaid lcup ineinbers, saidmeans including bell-crank levers carrying thecup members, slide rods operativelyconnected with the levers, acrosshead connecting the slide rods, means for operating'the erosshead;means for operating said shears, said means including bell-crank leverscarrying the shears, slide rods operatively connected to the levers, acrosshead connecting the slide rods and means io'r operating thecrosshead.

11. An apparatus of the character described includingpivot ally nioiintcd cup forniing members, and pivotally mounted shears, means foroperating said cup members, said means-including bell-crank leverscarrying the cup members, slide rods operatively connected with thelevers, a crosshead connecting the slide rods: means i'or operating saidshears, said meansl including bell-crank levers carrying the shears,slide rods opera-

